


sunset in my pocket

by jxneun



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure tri.
Genre: Coming of Age, First Dates, First Love, Gen, M/M, awkward crushes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24697171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jxneun/pseuds/jxneun
Summary: Taichi isn’t the most articulate, but he’s got courage, charm, and confidence. Well, maybe he had the confidence to step up to save the human and digital world as a twelve year old kid, so why did he feel hopeless and weak in the knees at the thought of confessing to his newfound crush?
Relationships: Ishida Yamato | Matt Ishida & Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Ishida Yamato | Matt Ishida/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya, Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya & Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya
Comments: 11
Kudos: 26





	1. catching butterflies

**Author's Note:**

> Early birthday present to @tiedbows :) Hope you all enjoy <3

Taichi mustered the courage and asked Yamato to a date. He couldn’t believe what he just did. He really asked out the blonde whose temperament nearly got him killed in the digital world — more times than he could count, but he couldn’t help it. He fell for the blonde whose gentle demeanor coaxed shy Gabumon to digivolve and save the world, even if it was simply from playing his old harmonica, the blonde who showed him that there are more to people than what meets the eye, and he was the blonde boy who Taichi couldn’t get out of his mind.

Screaming into his pillow, Taichi recollected the series of events that had just happened before him, before he dashed off and stumbled into the small apartment; he didn’t even take the time to greet his mom nor did he notice Hikari’s worried glances when he scurried off into his room. He was overcome by emotions — he was absolutely mortified.

Here’s the thing. most people ask their object of affections out on a date by asking them: Hey are you free on Friday night? Would you like to go out with me?

The most confident individuals would completely steer away from beating around the bush and simply say to the other person to free up their schedule, and that a date was set... Here’s the thing.

Taichi was brave. He was courageous, willing to fight against forces of evil, whether it be humans or digimon, especially demonstrated as he bore the crest of courage. He was a leader, and he guided others to seek solutions, to pave the road for their own destiny.

He knew that. He knew others depended on him and that they all admired his willingness to serve and take the initiative.

Well, in this case, Taichi would rather let the earth swallow him whole at this point because he felt the creeping suspicion that his prior actions earlier in the day would haunt him forever.

As they were heading out of class, Taichi had asked Yamato to meet him in the courtyard, where the cherry blossom trees and the greenhouse were. Sitting on the wooden bench, Taichi waited in anticipation, twiddling with his thumbs and fidgeting, as he paced back and forth. He was so nervous and he couldn’t calm down; the butterflies in his stomach soared and crept up his throat. His throat felt scratchy and tight, his heart rate was alarmingly high and his palms were bound to get clammy anytime soon. Taichi’s fight-and-flight response was at an all-time high, telling him to run and get the hell out of there, so that he could save face and forget about all of this, before any calamities or world disasters could ensue.

He could endure whatever the Dark Masters or Myotismon or even Meicoomon could throw at him. Confessing to his newfound crush, Yamato Ishida? He didn’t know where to start. 

What would he even say? Was it even reasonable to say something like, “ _Oh yeah, by the way, I just realized I’ve liked you ever since you punched me on the side of the mountain where we could have gotten hypothermia and died because it marked the beginning when I realized our relationship was really special to me?”_

It sounded ridiculous. He couldn’t even piece it together in his head; how was he even going to say it to Yamato’s face?! 

Moreover, Taichi had little to no dating experience. He was a “late bloomer” per say, as he never really thought about dating or girls, so when he realized his budding feelings for Yamato were more than strictly platonic, he was stricken with fear and dread. He didn’t even know whether Yamato liked boys or not; when they were in secondary school, Yamato and Sora briefly dated... 

They broke it off a year later when they realized that they were good friends, but perhaps not the best match as a couple. It came as a shock to the rest of the digi destined, especially since Sora and Yamato got along well, and it didn’t seem like they had any major conflicts, especially since the two of them kept their dating life rather private. It seemed like things were going well, and to be frank, things were going well. It wasn’t like anything drastic had happened, or some dramatic scandal where there was infidelity or some wild attempt from Yamato’s fangirls to break the two apart. They simply drifted apart. He recalled when Sora actually was the one to reach out to him, as she wistfully reflected and admitted that she had no regrets. Taichi remembered the snowy night where he had encouraged and unconditionally supported Sora’s choice to take the initiative and tell Yamato how she truly felt; so when she spoke to him once more, on the late summer night as they stared at the night sky littered with stars, Taichi couldn’t help but feel confused. Upon realization, with Taichi’s frown and scrunched eyebrows, Sora laughed, and her giggles filled the silence. The twinkle in her eyes was unmistakable, as the sheen of tears wet the inner corners of her eyes; on the bleachers in the empty soccer field, Sora’s words echoed in Taichi’s mind, words that he didn’t exactly understand at the time, but stayed with him for years to come.

It was a learning experience for both of them; with crushes and infatuation, there is always pain, hardship, and uncertainty. Yet, young love is sought after, romanticized and yearned for. So when Sora said the following words, Taichi was stunned. 

In a low voice, the redhead simply stated, “ _It’s one thing to love someone, but another to be in love with them. There was no big fight, or some dramatic reveal. Both Yamato and I realized that something was missing, so we agreed to call it off.”_

Even with the soft haze on Sora’s face from the poorly lit lights of the empty field, Taichi knew that Sora would be okay. What he didn’t realize at the time was that he would be in a similar predicament as Sora, when she had prepared that gift and small spiel about her feelings on that snowy night.

* * *

Coming to his senses, as he was deep in thought, he didn’t realize that a particular blonde had appeared before him, staring expectantly as he waved his hand in Taichi’s face.

“ _Earth to Taichi — hello?_ ” said Yamato, with slight amusement.

“ _Y-Yamato_!” sputtered Taichi, as we quickly stood up from the bench, smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes, to which the blonde raised a brow at. 

“ _So, why did you want to meet up? Did something happen? It’s kind of out of nowhere that you wanted to meet up in private_ ,” retorted Yamato, looking straight at Taichi, before he checked his watch for the time.

“ _Um...well, you see,_ ” trailed off Taichi, as he felt like he was growing smaller and smaller, with his voice quietening with each syllable.

Yamato was impatient, which was visible with the pitter patter of his right foot, his upright posture, and his crossed arms. Maybe this was a bad time, and he shouldn’t have asked Yamato to come meet him to talk to him. Maybe this would just make everything weird and things were much better when Taichi lived a blissfully ignorant life free from teenage hormones and angst. 

“ _Taichi? What’s wrong?_ ” said Yamato, as his look softened, before he started walking towards the brunette. 

Even though his thoughts were racing back and forth in his mind, with caution signs and stop signs signaling to him that this was a bad idea, and that this was his chance to u-turn and never look back, Taichi ran his mouth and said, “ _Yamato, I like you and I know that it’s a little out of nowhere but will you go out with me on Friday night for a date at 7PM at a restaurant or at a fair or wherever you want to go? Maybe we could go on your bike or we could catch the bus or subway or something? Anything works for me or whatever you want to do if you’re even free at that time —_ “

Yamato put his hand on Taichi’s shoulder, with cobalt cerulean orbs staring straight into Taichi’s soul, then said in response, “ _Wait you like me? Taichi, you need to slow down and breathe, cause I didn’t understand a single thing you just said after that.”_

To this, Taichi’s face burst into flames, and his cheeks reddened as he began stammering, with awkward laughs in between, to excuse himself as he ran off away from Yamato, whose stunned expression was imprinted in Taichi’s mind. 

Great. Taichi was brave enough as a twelve year old to stare death straight in the face in the form of some weird killer clown, but he was too much of a pansy to face his crush and properly ask him out without making an utter fool of himself. 

Taichi ran off so quickly that he didn’t even remember what had happened in the series of events right before he had gotten home to simmer and sulk in his room. Wallowing in self-pity, the brunette found himself in a predicament: what was he supposed to do now? Should he simply avoid Yamato at all costs? Should he just act like nothing had ever happened? 

Groaning, Taichi turned over and splayed his limbs out on his bed, turning over to face the wall. He didn’t realize that Hikari had come in, before she cleared her throat to make her presence known.

“ _Big bro, are you okay_?” said Hikari, with genuine worry and concern.

Facing the wall, Taichi mumbled, “ _It’s okay Hikari, there’s nothing to worry about. Only my pride, reputation, and now my tarnished friendship with one of my closest friends_ ,” a statement that reminded him of how this was much worse than he initially had thought it out to be when he was planning to confess in the first place. Wow, could this get any worse?

Hikari then sighed, and she sauntered to Taichi’s bedside, patting his comforter to motion to him to face her. When Taichi didn’t respond, Hikari’s concern briefly turned to that of annoyance, and she smacked her older brother upside the head.

“ _Hey! Why’d you do that?!_ ” said Taichi, quickly getting up from his fetal position on the bed.

“ _Good, now you’re actually paying attention to me. Taichi, why do you say that? What do you even mean? What happened_?” said Hikari, listing all the questions she had on her mind ever since Taichi had gotten home. 

Rubbing his head, Taichi drawled off, saying “ _Well, I kind of tried to confess to Yamato and ask him out because I just realized I liked him and I panicked and he didn’t really understand what I was saying, so when he touched my shoulder, I panicked and sped off_ ,” with an uneasy look on his face.

Raising her brow, Hikari retorted, “ _Well, what did Yamato-san say_?”

Wait, Yamato didn’t say anything afterwards did he? Taichi was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t even give Yamato a chance to give him a proper answer!

Taichi slumped once again, retreating to the corner of his bed in defeat. 

“ _Well_?” said Hikari, with a quizzical but patient look. 

_“I don’t know how Yamato feels...I ran away before he could say anything_ ,” muttered Taichi, pouting as he facepalmed. 

Hikari’s expression remained unchanged, as she then pat Taichi’s head, and left the room.  Taichi was left with his thoughts, as he was left to process Hikari’s words in his own due time.

“ _I think you should just wait for Yamato-san’s response. He didn’t accept or reject your feelings. Just wait for him to speak up on his own time, and you’ll get the closure you want.”_

As he mulled over the series of events of the day, his eyelids grew heavy and he was then put into a deep slumber, visibly exhausted from staying up the night before.

When Taichi woke up, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Still half-asleep, he realized that he had just received a text notification. Before he realized who the sender was, Taichi opened the chat and to his surprise, the text read,

“ ** _Be ready this Friday at 6:30PM. I’ll pick you up on my bike. See you then. [9:05PM]”_**

Taichi’s heart leapt out of his chest and he felt his stomach lurch forward. He couldn’t believe his own eyes, to which he rubbed furiously, to check whether this was all a cruel trick or dream. Rereading the text, his phone display was the sole source of light in his bedroom. Even then, he was astonished and remained skeptical, before he finally came to the conclusion that the message was in fact real, and that it was from Yamato himself.

Taichi could puke, cry, yell, laugh, or even all of the above. He was about to go on his first date, and he couldn’t believe it. He rolled around in his bed, before getting up and throwing punches in the air in excitement. 

To reiterate, Taichi was going to go on his first ever date, and he was beyond ecstatic. 

As the adrenaline wore off, Taichi realized: what was he even going to do on the date with Yamato? What do people even do on dates? What do you even wear to dates? What if he humiliated himself and this was all a huge misunderstanding? What if he looked weird or smelled bad? What if the food they got gave him gas or worse, made either of them sick?!

Fuck. 

Well, he was screwed. Taichi was doomed from the start, and his inexperience only exacerbated this anxiety further. 

Even as the uncertainties bubbled up in his chest, all Taichi could think of was: Yamato Ishida was going out on a date with him. Honestly, he could die any moment now, and he’d be content. 

Is this what falling in love feels like? Or was it merely infatuation? Either way, all Taichi could think of was Yamato, and their planned date on Friday. He couldn’t wait, yet he couldn’t help but feel like he needed more time to mentally prepare himself... Taichi slipped under the covers, and begun his research on online forums and reddit threads. Time was of the essence, and Friday was two days from now. He had to do his research and plan accordingly, otherwise he might simply just combust from the sheer excitement of it all.

Flushed, Taichi couldn’t help but grin to himself. He had a date, after all!


	2. soul searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taichi tended to overthink. Sometimes it saved him from getting his ass handed to him. Sometimes it made him overly paranoid. Either way, his body had a mind of its own, paying no attention to the highly anticipated date he had planned for Friday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i changed my mind this is longer than i expected so will have more chapters bc i guess i love making Taichi suffer..... enjoy :)

Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to scroll through endless forums and posts about first dates and how to confess properly to your crush.

Taichi was in a strange predicament. Even after hours on end, he remained puzzled. The blue light glowing on his face from his phone was supplemented with the streams of light coming through the blinds as the sun began to rise and the birds came to life, with chirps and the sound of traffic accompanying the sound of his breath. With little to no shut eye, he could barely keep his eyes open, as his vision became blurry and unfocused. Unable to concentrate on the text on his phone, Taichi was frustrated, rubbing his eyes to no avail; blearily looking around his room, he realized his alarm clock would go off soon, to alert him to wake to prepare before morning practice. He stared at the ceiling, for god knows how long, before flailing about with a fist raised in the air. Looking in the reflection of his phone, now with nearly 3 percent battery left, Taichi wished that he had prioritized his own beauty sleep... 

Even though he sifted through countless news articles about crushes and first dates, whether it be online magazines, Reddit threads, or even on Twitter, he failed to find any reputable sources for advice. Instead, he found mainly articles focusing on heterosexual relationships... Even when he managed to find Japanese sources for queer relationships, he was dejected, only finding a plethora of BL content...It wasn’t exactly ideal to seek advice from glorified books that fetishized relationships among males, especially when they always tended to reduce male relationships to one being some fragile, effeminate damsel in distress and the other being some macho hyper masculine douchebag. They didn’t seem all that realistic, and Taichi grimaced in pain and second hand embarrassment, recalling moments where the top would neglect lubricant or any sort of contraceptives... It was times like this that Taichi was glad that he was able to learn English in secondary and post-secondary education; it felt sort of comforting, being able to read about people’s personal experiences and path to understanding their sexual identity. It made him feel less alone. 

Japan, although a relatively progressive nation with regard to LGBTQA+ issues in Asia, has persistent heteronormative views on family and marriage that make being an individual of the LGBTQA+ community relatively difficult. While there aren’t any laws criminalizing same-sex relations to Taichi’s knowledge, he definitely felt the tension and stigma surrounding it; moreover, it spoke volumes how he wasn’t really able to find any helpful sexual health resources. He wasn’t really out to the rest of his friends either, since his crush on Yamato was still relatively newfound and he was still understanding it himself. Out of everyone, the only one Taichi actually intended to confide in was Koushiro and Hikari. Of course, Hikari only found out because she saw how distraught he was just a few hours ago, but he still trusted her and valued her insight. On the other hand, Koushiro was his best friend and Taichi knew that Koushiro would never judge him. Taichi extremely valued his connection with the redhead, especially since he had been there for Taichi since day one, and has stuck by him through thick and thin. He felt extremely grateful to the boy, whose intellect and open-minded attitude kept Taichi grounded, especially in moments of crisis. It’s funny actually, because Koushiro was actually the one who encouraged him to ask Yamato out, even if he did so in the most casual way possible. Recalling how it happened, it could easily be summed up in a sentence or two; Koushiro nonchalantly commented that Taichi seemed to be closer to Yamato, especially since he began to talk about the blonde rather excessively at times... Taichi was bewildered and prodded the former, and Koushiro smiled, saying, “ _I’m here to listen and support you with whatever you decide to do, Taichi-san._ ”

Taichi curled up under the plush comforter, scrunching the blue cotton fabric in his fists and holding his legs to his chest. Dismayed at the limited findings of his internet research, he yawned, as the little sleep he got began to creep on him, as his strength and energy ebbed, dwindling with each passing second. As his eyes began to close, the heavy weight that resulted from his ill-timed restlessness consumed him. 

Like most students, the sound of his alarm clock was deafening. Under his breath, Taichi cursed whoever decided that life should revolve around time...

In Japan, it’s custom to already be punctual. Since he was the football captain, he had to head off to campus especially early. This sucked. How was he supposed to get through the day now? What if he passed out on his bike ride to school? What if he tumbled while trying to pass the ball to his teammates? What if he went to sleep in class and woke up with prints on his face, and a ticket to the disciplinary committee or the principal’s office?

He groaned, especially as the incessant beeping of his alarm began to play rhythmically, and he felt his head spin and stomach turn. 

He could do this. What’s one day without sleep? He did this in the digital world with ease. He fought alongside his team and the digimon with adrenaline coursing through his veins, even when they were fatigued, having only scraps or berries to eat, or when they spent the entire day trying to hitchhike a ride to get home to Odaiba.

He could do this as an eighteen-year-old. 

Right?

—

Wrong.

Taichi felt unsurmountable guilt and shame override any sense of confidence or pride he had, even if it was for a brief moment in time. 

Sure, he had managed to survive the hectic day, whether it be in class, practice, or in his self-study sessions. The breeze was refreshing on his bike ride and he somehow felt exhilarated, with more energy than usual even. Some of his teammates even commented that he seemed more eager than usual, even if his moves were less...graceful. He stumbled a few times, and maybe he got more bruises and skinned his knees more than usual, he managed to survive practice. In class, he was lucky his teachers didn’t seem to pay any attention to him, and he had no quizzes nor tests. Even his study sessions were pretty productive, since he caught up on his readings and checked off most things on his to-do list.

So, why was he freaking out at this exact moment you ask?

On Friday morning, the day of his date with Yamato, Taichi woke up with a painfully obvious pimple that appeared on the bridge of his nose, and it was blistering, red, and especially prominent. He was basically like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and this felt like a cruel joke. Horrified, Taichi stared into the mirror on his dresser, trying to make sense of everything. 

“ _Fuck my life_ ,” grumbled the brunette, as he fumbled at his clothes, as he attempted to get dressed before swiftly making his way to the bathroom to try to get a hold of Hikari’s concealer to try to cover the bump. 

As always, puberty was not on his side and Taichi was now considering calling off his date. Sure, he had the crest of courage, but in this moment, Taichi’s current state of mind was anything but.

Could time just stop now? End his suffering? 

Taichi was cut off his musing, as Hikari’s knocks on the bathroom door cut him off his stupor.

“ _Big bro? Could you hurry up? I get you have your date today, but I still have to get ready for class too!”_

The concealer didn’t seem to blend seamlessly into his skin. Instead, it looked like a patchy glob on top of his blemish, which seemed resilient, persevering through the test of time. If anything, it seemed like the additional makeup made the pimple stick out even more, especially since Taichi was a tad darker than Hikari... Groaning in displeasure, Taichi thoroughly and haphazardly washed his face, since the product didn’t seem to serve him any favors and Hikari’s patience was wearing thin, especially since Taichi could sense her irritation even with the door separating them...Could this get any worse? 

“ _Sorry_!” shouted Taichi, as he attempted to scurry off into the depths of his room; his attempts were futile, as Hikari forcibly stopped him in his tracks. 

“ _Oh no, big bro... No wonder why you were taking so long_ ,” began Hikari, as Taichi’s head drooped down in shame.

” _Don’t worry, give me 15 minutes, and you’ll be good as new,”_ said the young brunette teen; while Taichi was grateful and eager to see what she could do, the mysterious glint in her eyes made the older brunette apprehensive...

As she spoke, barely audibly whispering the following words to the male teen, Taichi couldn’t really hear what Hikari had said.

What exactly was Hikari planning anyway?

 _”I’m sure either way, Yamato-san will find you irresistible,”_ thought the girl, with a deceivingly angelic expression on her face.

She was totally going to win a hundred dollars and the old guitar that Takeru had conned his older brother out of. The bet was on. Takeru thought that Taichi would never reciprocate Yamato’s feelings, but Hikari knew better.

She hummed to herself, as she whisked Taichi out of the bathroom, and into his room so she could fix his makeup mishap and give him a fashion makeover to prep for, especially so he could change once classes were over.

After all, at the end of the day, she just wanted Taichi to be happy. He deserved the best, even though in this case, Hikari would also score a couple hundred and an old guitar. Taichi didn’t need to know of that though, not yet anyway.


	3. morning grwm: yagami siblings edition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taichi’s “fairy godmother” came to him in the form of his little sister whose 8-step skincare routine and makeup bag came as a godsend to his poor, troubled teenage soul.

Somehow, Hikari worked her magic with her nimble hands, with more technique and skill than what Taichi would ever possess in his eighteen years. Her swift movements allowed her to not only mask the unwanted blemish on his nose (which Taichi now realizes, he was being a tad bit dramatic about), but she also touched up the rest of his face, enhancing the rest of his facial features. Before they headed to his room, Hikari started off the session with a 3-step skin care routine, which the younger brunette had modified from her usual 8-step skin care routine to get the older brunette to do with her. 

Honestly, Taichi was pretty lucky to have limited skin issues, as he tended to have clear skin. If anything, the only thing that his mom and Hikari tended to bug him about was that he needed to wear sunscreen to prevent sun damage and wrinkles... Taichi didn’t really think about it, especially since he’s always played sports and he didn’t really get sunburnt. He was lucky that he tanned instead, but Hikari and his mom’s incessant worrying about skin cancer began to rub off on him, especially after Hikari went ham and went off on him, telling him a bunch of skin care statistics and skin cancer rates among Asians... Shuddering, upon remembrance of the explicit pictures of skin cancer in its later stages, Taichi complied with Hikari’s demands. 

He first washed his face with the gentle cleanser, rubbing the product on his face in circular motions upwards; he then washed his face with cool to lukewarm water, pat drying his face with the towel as per Hikari’s instructions. Then, he applied the moisturizer and sunscreen on his face, using his index finger to dot on globs of the product, from his forehead all the way down to his neck. Nodding in approval, Hikari then pulled out her makeup bag, which was filled with brushes, makeup palettes, and things that Taichi didn’t recognize... Then, they started making their way to Taichi’s bedroom.

“ _You’re not doing a full face on me right, Hikari_?” hesitantly asked Taichi, with growing unease.

Hikari smiled sweetly, before proceeding to say, “ _Don’t worry, big bro. You’re in the hands of someone who somehow has amassed a global following of boys,_ ” which sent chills down Taichi’s spine. Obviously she was joking, but Taichi knew how his entire football team had a crush on his little sister. Hell, even when the digi destined were scattered across the globe, there were boys who were enamored by her, despite the language barriers. His little sister was an enigma; she was powerful, even though her innocent, gentle features showed otherwise. Even though Hikari had a chronic health condition, she never let it get in the way of what she wanted to do or helping other people. Taichi admired his little sister for that. Even though he was a little overprotective if his sister at times, she held herself together and was a positive influence on those around her. Even now, as Taichi was getting his makeover from the former, he couldn’t help but grow a little emotional. 

Grooming his brows, she used the spoolie to brush out the fine hairs. With glee, she proceeded to then tweeze a couple of hairs (to which Taichi winces every time she takes it out to this day) before she curling his lashes (with a contraption that Taichi was a little scared of at first, if he were to be completely honest, especially after reading an article where some kid ripped out all their lashes with a cheap curler). She then took out a pimple patch to cover his acne, before adding color corrector and concealer to neutralize the hyperpigmentation and dull areas on his face. After she blended everything together, she took her brush to add highlight to the high points of his cheekbones and his brow bone, as well as his inner tear ducts. She then set his face with a powder, before proceeding to pass him lip balm so that he could moisturize his lips. 

“ _Okay, now close your eyes,_ ” said Hikari, before she sprayed his face with the setting spray. Taichi gulped, mentally preparing himself as Hikari handed him the mirror on the vanity.

He was floored.

The pimple practically was nonexistent! His eyes were wide as saucers, both in a literal and figurative sense, especially after she had curled his lashes. He didn’t even know that his eyes could look that big... Makeup was never his forte, especially since he clearly had no idea what he was doing when he was trying to conceal the pimple on his nose. Moreover, his skin glistened after she applied the natural shimmer, and his bone structure looked even more pronounced. Hikari had added the highlight on his cupid’s bow, and even on his collarbones... It was a little weird at first, but he saw why she did so. It looked subtle, and it was amazing how she did so much within so little time.

His jaw dropped, especially since it didn’t even seem like he put on makeup in the first place. It looked like he had just woken up from a full night’s slumber, which he probably hasn’t had for years.

Hikari looked at him, nodding triumphantly with her arms crossed. 

“ _Hikari, you’re the best_ ,” said Taichi, with glee and utmost gratitude.

“ _I know_ ,” responded Hikari with a smug grin.

“ _Now, we’re going to pick your outfit; since you’re going to get picked up by Yamato-san around 6:30PM, it’ll probably be a little cold, so I picked out these three outfits for you to choose from. Since you’ll probably need to touch up your face once you get back from school, I set this up so that you’re as time efficient as possible when getting ready once you finish your afternoon classes_ ,” plainly stated Hikari, as if she had precisely calculated that this moment would come. 

When did she even get the time to get all of this together? Taichi gulped, in anticipation of what was yet to come later today. Hopefully, he wouldn’t make an utter fool of himself. 

“ _You better update me on how it goes_!” unabashedly said Hikari, without an ounce of shame.

“ _Okay, okay! Now get out so I can change_!” said Taichi in response, before smiling to himself. Maybe this wouldn’t be all that bad after all.

“ _Also, I left a sandalwood-scented cologne on your drawer! You better use it! That’s your early birthday present, so I expect a killer present by the time of my birthday_ ,” giggled Hikari, which he could hear through the thin apartment walls.

How was she so prepared? Either way, Taichi was grateful. Now he just had to survive the rest of the day and make the most of it without combusting. 

He wondered whether Yamato would even notice anything different about him. Would he notice the makeup? Would he notice that Taichi was trying a little too hard? Would he misunderstand and think that Taichi was just asking him to hang out as friends?

Taichi sighed, before he took notice of the time. Shit. He had to get out of the house ASAP, otherwise he would be late for morning classes. Thank goodness that they didn’t have practice this morning, otherwise Taichi would have been screwed. 

Hopefully, Yamato wouldn’t notice just how truly nervous he really was. **Hopefully**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i always end up writing more than what i originally anticipate lol
> 
> beauty comes at a price and i totally hc hikari being aware of her power lmao plus i feel like she would love dressing up taichi and making him feel ~*snazzy*~ especially given that this is like taichi’s first exposure to the dating world lmao bb is a mess and really was about to cancel his date to salvage his pride (ik i would...also no one in their teens would in their right mind would be brave enough to go on their first date w a giant pimple on their nose.....change my mind)
> 
> next chap is the date night though! heh stay tuned


End file.
